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Silent clock
A silent clock is a rare event on 24 that features a clock with no 'beeping' before a commercial break or before the end credits of an episode. It is used to acknowledge the death or serious injury of a significant character. The effect of the silent clock could be accentuated by the split screen that is put in place immediately prior, depending on the circumstances surrounding the character's death. Upon the death of Teri Bauer, the screen was split between the scene of Jack cradling Teri's body alongside black and white clips from Day 1 12:00am-1:00am. Immediately preceding Ryan Chappelle's death, there was no split screen, possibly to create the expectation that the episode was not quite over and he would somehow escape, until the appearance of the silent clock, confirming that he had indeed died. The silent clock has been used 5 times, only once per season in Seasons 1, 3, and 5. It was used twice in Season 2 and was not used at all in Season 4. Uses of the silent clock * After the death of Teri Bauer. Day 1 11:00pm-12:00am * George Mason's departure from CTU on Day 2 (9:35:58). Day 2 9:00pm-10:00pm * Following the attempt on David Palmer's life, he was seriously injured but survived the attack Day 2 7:00am-8:00am * After the execution of Ryan Chappelle. Day 3 6:00am-7:00am * Nerve gas is released into CTU killing Edgar Stiles as well as 40% of CTU's employees. Day 5 6:00pm-7:00pm Silent clock sounds No silent clock on 24 to date has been completely silent. Following Teri Bauer's death there was a very quiet howling wind with footsteps. Ryan Chappelle's silent clock had a train whistle, and both George Mason's and Edgar Stiles' had faint music with their silent clocks. Alternative to the silent clock At the end of the season finale of Season 2, President Palmer was the target of an assassination attempt, and was last seen lying on the ground gasping for breath. The 'beeping' of the clock was replaced with President Palmer's faint heart beat and labored breathing. Unlike the other situations involving a silent clock, however, President Palmer survived the attempt on his life. Because of the unique nature of this instance, it is often grouped together with the other Silent Clock events. One distinguishing element however, is that while the other events had faint background noise(see below), the clock following the assassination attempt on Palmer's life had Palmer's breathing prominently in the foreground. This alone sets this event apart from the other four listed here. Fan controversy An online fan controversy arose regarding the lack of a silent clock after the death of Tony Almeida. In an online podcast interview on TVweek.com, writer and producer Evan Katz acknowledged learning about the dispute on various blogs and discussion boards. He explained to the DJ that "people were angry that Edgar got the silent clock and Tony didn't." He was surprised at the fan reaction, but understood it because Tony had been a cast member for five seasons. http://www.tvweek.com/docs/24_3_28.mp3 Category:24 Category:Day 1 Category:Day 2 Category:Day 3 Category:Day 5